Chapter 8
Hebrews and Judaism
(2000 BC- AD 70)
13 Topics- Chapter 8
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Abraham
Possible routes of Abraham and Moses
Moses
Ten Commandments
Kings unite the Israelites – King David and Solomon
Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, c.920bc
Judaism and Monotheism
Moses and the Golden Calf
Hebrew Text – The torah, the Hebrew Bible, and The
Commentary
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Destruction of the Second Temple
Jewish Migration After AD 70
A Passover meal
Chapter 8 Hebrews and Judaism
Abraham
Abraham
Sometime between 2000 and 1500 BC a
new people appeared in Southwest
Asia. They were the Hebrews (HEEbrooz). The early Hebrews were simple
herders, but they developed a culture
that became a major influence on later
civilizations.
Chapter 8- Hebrews and Judaism
Possible Routes of Abraham and
Moses
Possible Routes of Abraham and
Moses
According to the Hebrew Bible, a leader
named Moses appeared among the
Hebrews in Egypt. In the 1200s BC, God
told Moses to lead the Hebrews out of
Egypt. Moses went to the pharaoh and
demanded that the Hebrews be freed.
The pharaoh refused. Soon afterward a
series of terrible plagues, or disasters,
struck Egypt.
Chapter 8 Hebrews and Judaism
Moses
Moses
c. 1200s BC) Biblical figure, according
to the Bible, he led the Hebrew people
out of Egypt and back to Canaan in the
Exodus. During this journey, Moses
received the Ten Commandments from
God.
Chapter 8 Hebrews and Judaism
Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
In the Bible, a code of moral laws given
to Moses by God; Examples – Do not
steal, Do not commit adultery.
Chapter 8 Hebrews and Judaism
Kings Unite the Israelites- King David
and
Solomon
King unite the Israelites-king
David and Solomon
According to the Bible; David – killed
the Philistine giant Goliath and
established the capital of Israel in
Jerusalem; David’s son, Solomon, took
over the empire and expanded it through
trade making the kingdom rich.
Solomon built god a great temple in
Jerusalem.
Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
Kingdoms of Israel and Judah,
c.920BC
Kingdoms of Israel and Judah,
c.920BC
After Solomon’s death in about 930 BC,
revolts broke out over who should be
king. Within a year, conflict tore Israel
apart. Israel split into two kingdoms
called Israel and called Judah (JOOduh). The people of Judah became
known as Jews.
Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
Judaism and Monotheism
Judaism and Monotheism
Religion is the foundation upon which
the Jews base their whole society. In
fact, much of Jewish culture is based
directly on Jewish beliefs. The central
beliefs of Judaism, the Jewish religion,
are beliefs in God, education, justice,
and obedience.
Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
Moses and the Golden Calf
Moses and the Golden Calf
According to the Hebrew Bible, when
Moses returned from Mount Sinai, he found
the Hebrews worshipping a statue of a
golden calf. They had become impatient
waiting for Moses and wanted to worship a
god they could see. Moses was furious that
they were worshipping a statue instead of
God. In this Italian painting from the 1600s,
the Hebrews are destroying the golden
calf.
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Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
Hebrew Texts – The Torah, The Hebrew
Bible, and The Commentary
j
Hebrew Texts – The Torah, The Hebrew Bible,
and The Commentary
The Torah
Using a special pointer called a yad, this girl is reading aloud
from the Torah. The Torah is the most sacred of Hebrew
writings. Jews believe its contents were revealed to Moses by
God. The Torah plays a central role in many Jewish
ceremonies, like this one.
The Hebrew Bible
These beautifully decorated pages are from a Hebrew Bible.
The Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Tanach, includes the
Torah and other ancient writings.
The Commentaries
The Talmud is a collection of laws, commentaries, and
discussions about the Torah and the Hebrew Bible. The Talmud
is a rich source of information for discussion and debate.
Rabbis and religious scholars like these young men study the
Talmud to learn about Jewish history and laws.
Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Besides the Torah, the Hebrew Bible,
and the Commentaries, many other
documents also explain ancient Jewish
beliefs. Among the most important are
the Dead Sea Scrolls, writings by
Jews who lived about 2,000 years
ago.
Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
Destruction of the Second Temple
Destruction of the Second
Temple
Frustrated by a century of Roman rule,
many Jews rose up in armed rebellion.
Led by the Zealots, they fought furiously
for four years. But the experienced
Roman army crushed the revolt. The
Romans even destroyed the Jews’
holiest site, the Second Temple in
Jerusalem.
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Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
Jewish Migration After AD 70
Jewish Migration After AD 70
Known as the Diaspora, Jews left to settle
in other parts all over Europe and Northern
Africa. Jews everywhere shared the basic
beliefs of Judaism. For example, all Jews
still believed in one God and tried to obey
God's law as set forth in the sacred texts.
But communities in various parts of the
world had different customs. As a result,
the Jewish communities in different parts of
the world began to develop their own
languages, rituals, and cultures.
Chapter 8 Hebrew and Judaism
A Passover meal
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A Passover meal
Passover honors the Exodus, one of the
most important events in Hebrew history. In
honor of this event from their past, Jews
share a special meal called a seder. Each
item in the seder symbolizes a part of the
Exodus. For example, bitter herbs
represent the Jews’ bitter years of slavery
in Egypt. Before eating the meal, everyone
reads prayers from a book called the
Haggadah (huh-GAH-duh). It tells the story
of the Exodus and reminds everyone
present of the Jews’ history.